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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 13

World War II

Leaders, turning points and the end

What your child practices

Axis and Allied leaders, the turning points in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific, civilians' experiences, VE Day, the atomic bombs, and the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 9.10; 9.12 · World War II's turning points and consequences, and how it ended in Europe and the Pacific

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. War began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
  2. Turning points: Stalingrad (1942–1943) destroyed a German army; D-Day landed Allies in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
  3. Civilians suffered bombing and evacuation. The war ended after atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; trials at Nuremberg and Tokyo followed.

Example: When did World War II begin in Europe? It began with Germany’s invasion of Poland. The date was September 1, 1939. Answer: September 1, 1939

World War II in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 8 of 13 in 9th grade Social Studies, after Between the Wars and before The Holocaust.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    World War II began in Europe when Germany invaded Poland on…

    • September 1, 1939
    • June 6, 1944
    • May 8, 1945
    • December 7, 1941

  2. Question 2

    The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought which country into the war?

    • China
    • Britain
    • the United States
    • the Soviet Union

  3. Question 3

    The British prime minister who led Britain through most of the war was…

    • Winston Churchill
    • Franklin Roosevelt
    • Neville Chamberlain
    • Charles de Gaulle

  4. Question 4

    Collaborators in occupied countries were people who…

    • stayed neutral
    • fled to America
    • worked with the occupying enemy
    • fought against the enemy

  5. Question 5

    The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and…

    • Nagasaki
    • Tokyo
    • Kyoto
    • Osaka

  6. Question 6

    About how many people died in World War II?

    • about 1 million
    • about 500
    • more than 60 million
    • about 10,000

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